Sorcery
by Perseverance
Summary: Hitokiri Battousai became a legend. His existance questioned. His identity was unknown. And a young woman appeared to answer it all.
1. Chapter 1

Title: **Sorcery**

Began: 03/05/2006

Category: Fantasy/Romance

Rated: T- violence, adult language, and adult content.

Summary: Hitokiri Battousai became a legend. His existence questioned. His identity was unknown. And a young woman appeared to answer it all.

Disclaimer: I am _not_ the sole owner of Rurouni Kenshin anime. Nobuhiro Watsuki is the proud owner of it. But I _do_ own my story.

**Chapter One**

As the Prince among his people, Kenshin Himura traveled alongside his Uncle to his kingdom not so far away. Their mission delayed their journey home and he could only imagine the upheaval in his kingdom. As the Prince, he was significant and most sought after. In other kingdoms, they saw him as a threat and were willing to do everything in their power to conquer his land.

The sky was dark with clouds, perfect for misdeeds. He searched the grounds for any threat while his Uncle sipped on warm rum. Kenshin ran a hand through his fiery crimsoned hair. Exhaling a sigh, he glanced at his Uncle whom looked at him with keen interest. Hiko Seijuro, his admiral teacher, taught him a unique swordsmanship -one said to be such a vast mystery. After intense years of training, his senses heightened, thus conveying the reality of nature. Also he learned magic, which assisted him to understanding nature.

His Uncle halted his horse and hopped off his back. He followed, predicting his Uncle scanned something he missed. He studied his surroundings, scanning the meadow, the small hills and the horizon. Yet, he could not sense what initiated his Uncle to discontinue their journey home.

Pointing, he watched as his Uncle began walking toward a specific hill. Baffled, he saw his Uncle raised one large hand to his sword and move into a familiar stance. As if on cue, the hill distorted and the swish color of green blended into somewhat of a puzzle. Color upon color added to the puzzle creating a vivid hue and then the environment changed. The puzzle broke apart to reveal the castle they had been looking for. The castle stood on a rocky rise cradled in the bend of a small river that vanished within a thick cloud of trees. The original building looked as if it expanded throughout the centuries and had been well updated, but its site remained in a deserted location in order to keep intruders away. With a small move, a flash appeared warning intruders away. Anyone would have a hard time penetrating the castle's natural defensive barriers. They did not.

They reached the first magical barrier near the first rows of trees. The first warning seemed as a surprised encounter. The owner of the castle must have been practicing with dark magic because dark symbols formed an intriguing weave around the two men whom tried to pry their way into the castle. With a flicker of a hand, a man-size hole opened in the energy shell protecting two men from the on slaughter of dark magic. Kenshin stepped through and closed the portal behind him, making sure to leave no evidence behind. His Uncle who stepped before him nodded his approval and kept continuing their journey toward the castle. They both could have taken down the wards but refrained from doing so as not to warn the Dark User of their arrival.

The next barrier was the closed gates. Fortunately, there was a small door located in a mass tumble of weeds. Any normal home would have no such matter as a hidden door. This carefully hidden door left him and his Uncle to assume the guilt of the Dark User. Obviously the Dark User attempted something disdainful, something his mind did not want to conjure.

Kenshin was about to penetrate the magic of the door, when his Uncle stopped him by shaking his head in disapproval. Raising his hand and closing his eyes, he scanned the primary ground of the castle. The guards were highly alert while patrolling the familiar grounds. Beyond that, there were servants fast asleep in the attics or stables. A separate building was behind the castle. His brows furrowed as he scanned in the castle. And for a moment, a fleeting expression caused his forehead to wrinkle. He could feel his Uncle staring at him intently, probably wondering why the sudden change in facial features. There was a light aura that caught Kenshin's interest. Deciphering the aura in his mind, he made it out to be a young girl no older then the age of seven. His forehead wrinkled more in concern as he tried to comprehend her reasons for being up at such an awkward hour and her presence in the Dark Castle. She could have been a slave, but a slave as young as her would never be allowed to walk in such a fine castle. She could have been a servant, but servants were not allowed to wander the castle at night. Not unless… No. He guessed her parents owed a debt to the Dark User, thus they gave him their child -not that their child would hold any significance to the Dark User.

Finally opening his eyes, Kenshin nodded his head as an okay to continue. The guards were no longer patrolling around the hidden door, giving both men a chance to enter the Castle Grounds undetected. They entered and moved away from the main entrance to a small entrance used by both guards and servants. As they entered the castle, a corner chamber on the second floor captured their attention. It was brightly lit and a familiar aura that was felt by Kenshin outside the castle engulfed his mind. Removing the thought from his mind, he focused on his primary target. The Dark User was up there working, and had no sense of awareness that his castle had been breached.

Moving quietly up the stairs, Kenshin scanned the area once again for any other presence and his facial features contorted to one of bafflement. Again the strange aura of the girl was around the area; only he could not locate its direction. He looked at his Uncle silently asking him if he felt the same aura. His Uncle nodded his head as well.

His Uncle initiated the first attempt of opening the door to the Dark User's room. However, the knob would not turn easily. It was then his Uncle swore under his breath, leaving Kenshin to realize that both of them fell under the Dark User's trap. Without wasting a minute more, he summoned his power and knocked the door down.

In the room laid such expensive and exquisite furniture. However, Kenshin was not interested in admiring the furniture. What mattered was the Dark User: the man behind the magnificent desk that faced the door. The Dark User sat proud and tall, a devilish smirk danced across his pale lips. His eyes twinkled.

The room's atmosphere intensified as both men stared at the Dark User, their prey.

The Dark User did not appear astonished by the two men's arrival at his office. Instead there seemed to be a satisfied glimpse before it disappeared in his starry eyes.

"The Prince known as Kenshin Himura and his excellent teacher Hiko Seijuro," he said dryly. "In what do I owe this honor in presence of such royalty?"

"You know the reason," Kenshin answered calmly yet something in his mind rang warning bells. The Dark User did not seem affected by his and his Uncle's presence. Instead, he sat back with a lazy smirk twitching at the end of his lips. What kind of man remained calm at the presence of both men far stronger than him? "Perhaps I should remind you why we are here."

The Dark User leaned back in his chair while stretching his arms above his head. He smiled wryly. "Please do so."

Hiko took out a document from his pocket and dropped it on the desk. "This is the listing of your proved charges. We do not doubt that you have committed a lot more. You have used your power with greed and selfishness and hurt innocent people in the process." He shook in his head in disbelief at the man's calmness in imbibing such information. "How could you conquer Kamiya's land? How could you kill all those people and leave no survivors, then blame that common bandits set the village on fire? Do you not feel any remorse for taking life?"

"Not really. The strong survives and the weak dies."

Kenshin clamped down on his rising anger. A surge of emotions tended to bring forth magical powers. Any loss of control on his emotions would cause him to lose control over his magic. "I suggest you take in consideration what you have done for this is the last night you will spend in this castle."

The Dark User skimmed through the pages. "Well done." His dark brows arched as he reached the last page. "It seems I have underestimated the both of you. They do not call you Hitokiri Battousai for nothing." The Dark User intently watched Kenshin. "You have discovered even the little schemes that no one would bother to discover. However," he dropped the papers on his desk. "This is not a complete list of dark schemes I committed."

Something was wrong. Even his Uncle sensed it. Both men eyed the Dark User warily, searching for any traces of fear. However, the man sitting before them seemed invulnerable. He acted with such ease as if everything was going according to his plan. It meant one thing; both men had to change the charade in the game, signifying as a means to escape before the Dark User could use dark magic on the both of them.

"So you will confess to the crimes you committed before the Council for Sorcery?" Kenshin decided to stall for time, leaving his Uncle to plot an escape plan.

The Dark User smiled lazily. "You possibly think I will give in?"

"And if you said you give in, then I would have to second mind your honor." Turning around to leave the room he said, "I would have to get permission from the Council to bind your powers for misuse and misconduct."

Before Kenshin could reach the door, he heard his Uncle yelled his name. An unpleasant sound crackled not too far from the Dark User's direction and he found himself on the floor grasping onto anything in his reach. The dark magic sent waves into his body, causing him to thrash and groan in pain. Where the hell did the Dark User get such magic? The magic was immense and although he hated to admit it, it was far greater than his own magic.

The dark magic enraged as his limbs became heavier, his breathing shallower, his vision blurrier. The agonizing slaughter to his mind ceased when his entire form was pinned to the floor. Flames popped out of nowhere surrounding his body and raging until the colors of yellow, orange, and blue filled his vision.

"Welcome to my hell, Hitokiri Battousai," replied the Dark User as he hovered above the flames. Dark symbols floated around him casting shadows to engulf the room once the office. The shadows crawled forward to the roaring flames to swallow his entire form. "Enjoy your stay for no one will come to release you in hell."

A dark laugh was the last he heard as the fire dispersed and the shadows consumed his form.

The Prince's land was taken over by the Dark User. He then conquered many kingdoms to become the ultimate leader. To ensure no one was to conquer him, he sought after magic users and granted them special privileges under his rule. Under the special privileges were they able to commit crimes and remain clean with the Council. The poor struggled to survive and later became servants or slaves. The Kingdoms, once divided, unified. But the people separated into what the Dark User called "Fitting Class" -where the strong survived and the weak died.

* * *

AN: I'm sorry about my writing mistakes and my poor writing skills. I will try my best to write a functional story. However, fanfiction is a place for people to unleash their imagination and I'm one of those people who will like to share my rk imagination. The rk characters are ooc –I think that's what you say when the characters do not have the same character personality from the anime. Also, the story is alternate universe.

Hiko will not being drinking his sake. Instead, he will stick to drinking rum in the story. Reviews are nice, but I will not accept flames.


	2. Chapter 2

Continued: 10/08/2007

Disclaimer: I am not the sole owner of Rurouni Kenshin anime. Nobuhiro Watsuki is the proud owner of it. But I do own my story.

**Chapter Two**

As small as she was, she scurried through secret narrow passageways throughout the castle. Her little hands struggled to cover her sensitive ears as yells and screams pounded and vibrated through her head. Her Master must have been torturing another helpless victim. A sense of loss and grief thundered in the air as she hastily moved to her Master's lair. The emotions got stronger with her every footstep. Incoherent sounds seeped throughout the bricked walls that now separated her from her Master's lair and the secret narrow passage way.

What was wrong? Why did she go to her Master's lair instead of sleeping in the stable among the horses? A harsh scream protruded her questions and caused her hands to fly and cover her ears. Her body seemed faint; her mind went chaotic with the sense of anguish, grief, and the knowledge that her Master was mentally drilling into her head in order to use her powers to continue to torture the helpless victim.

"No!" she screamed. Her body sagged against the wall, the candle she used to display the interior surroundings of the narrow passage way fell to the ground. Her hands grasped her thick mass of hair, pulling the ends of it as if to both physically and mentally stop her Master from invading her mind. Her head felt as knives were stabbing it. A vision of raw burning flames consuming a young man alive filled her sight. She could feel her Master's pleasure at such a gruesome sight. She could hear his eerie laughter. She could feel him consume the victim's power and life through the roaring flames.

She sunk to the floor, bowing her head as tears burned her eyes. Her body throbbed with endless pain, going into spasms against the wall once in awhile. Her mind, her vision, and her soul were unified with her Master and he could choose to end her life as well or send her into a different dimension known as hell. After all, she was a seven year old child with no significance. Her family, her home, and her wealth were taken by him.

"Damn you Dark User!" a furious shout broke through the mist of fire and smoke. Through her Master's eyes, she saw a dark form hovering where the victim was effulged by flames. A dark mass swirled around the man as his large hand went to the hilt of his sword.

"Do you really think a pathetic sword could defeat me?" questioned her Master, not disturbed by the man's threat. She could not see the man facial features from the cloud of fire and smoke or be able to detect the strategy he could use with following a stance of a swordsman unless…

With velocity and precision, a swift form of arc, from a glint of silver, sliced through the air causing smoke and fire to part. Wind dashed from one end of the room to another. Everything in its paths was torn asunder. Unfortunately, her Master got out of the way in time and took out his sword at his side to deflect the sudden attack. The wind dwarfed the room, bouncing off of bricked walls and ceilings. The impact of strong magic caused the walls in her Master's lair to crack, the sound sickening to her ears. The cracks spread throughout the whole room until the walls collapsed.

Her support collapsed and no longer was the narrow passageway dark. Instead bright light, broken bricks, dirt, and smoke filled her vision. Her body pulsed with torment, her mind screamed with anguish, her soul felt poisoned. Her Master finally let go the connection between them, meaning he was no longer using her powers. Instead he seemed to summon powers from elsewhere.

"Who's the girl?"

Her Master noticed her but uttered nothing. Another blast of wind swamped the whole room. The wind slashed everything in its path as both swordsmen deflected it. The ceiling cracked in several places, the weight above the ceiling threatened to cause it to crumble. The whole room was shattered, all exquisite furniture and expensive items torn to shreds.

However, it was the last blast of wind directed toward her that made both swordsmen glanced at her. She was too weak to move out of the way. Her body lay ragged on the floor in piles of dirt and broken bricks. Her breaths were shallow and weak. She waited for the wind to slash her body to pieces, for her blood to splatter against the shredded furniture, items, and the floor.

She closed her eyes and waited for her death. No one would care. She would be free to join her family. She could at last witness the place called heaven.

In the midst, she heard her name being called. Her frail body was swept into an anonymous grasp. The scent of leather and alcohol invaded her senses, lulling her into a deep trance. Her eyes opened for a second to see her Master reaching for her. The next second her eyes closed to welcome a dreamful state.

"Kaoru!" her Master called.

---

Vexed, the Dark User thrashed precious silverware and plates to the floor. Dark magic radiated from his body, causing his servants to scurry from his furious form. If only he was not careless when he dealt with the child, he would not have lost her. Her magic was vital to his dark magic. Her mind was his and his alone.

"Damn Kenshin Himura the Battousai!" He walked down an empty hallway. "I needed only his powers like the child!"

A young servant boy with dark ruffled hair, blue eyes, and a bright smile on his face ran to his Master carrying a dark clock. He bowed and presented the cloak before his Master. "The child was taken by the haggard Hiko Seijuro."

"Would you like me to retrieve Miss Kaoru?" the boy asked as his Master took his cloak.

The Dark User only simply looked at the boy. "You have great skills with magic for one so young. It would be a pity to lose you if you went after the haggard man. If something were to happen to that child, then I would lose something important."

"Master…"

"You stay here and continue your magic training," said the Dark user. "I will reissue the protective barriers around the Castle and search for the child this night. Knowing that damn fool who took her, he will not trek far on his feet, nor does he have enough magical power to escape the castle."

The young servant boy named Soujiro Seta bowed as he watched his Master leave. Standing up, he went inside the castle to check on the status of servants who dashed around the household to replace objects that were broken and to clean the mess his Master created. He walked outside and ventured to the stable where the young girl slept. Opening the large stable doors, he peered through the darkness to hear the horses muffled an uncomfortable sound. He smiled a bright smile while walking through the darkness. He made his way to a pile of straw at the corner of the stable and turned into the corner. With the palm of his hand, he called forth magic that seeped through his body. A light glow was effulged in the center of his hand, casting a dim light around his surroundings. He saw the small blanket laid out on the straw. Next to the blanket, small personal items were placed that belonged to the little girl. Her clothes were neatly folded and set aside. There was a small comb she used to tame her long dark hair. There was a bucket of fresh water and a white clean cloth next to the bucket. And to the deepest corner, Soujiro found small head wraps the girl used to cover her hair when working in the stable while tending to the horses.

He picked one of the small cloths with his hand and ran his finger through the cheap cotton fabric. At once, he remembered when the girl was first presented with the small gifts. Her smile was so bright; it reminded him of the sun. Tears of joy illuminated from her wide blue eyes, and all because of the small gifts.

Again, the horses muffled uncomfortably. Shaking his head, he took the small head wrap from the little girl's belongings. Walking back to the center of the stable, he heard shifting from the horses, small mewling noises occurred with his every footstep. The horses were attached to the small Kaoru, thus created a strong bond with her. The horses knew of her disappearance. The horses knew of him taking one of personal and treasured items. If anyone else –not including his Master and him- were to take something from her, they would suffer greatly because of the strong bond she created with the horses. If anyone else were to mess with her –beside his Master and him- his Master would know and cause great pain to them by using dark magic.

Reaching the end of the stable, he heard thunder roar in the dark sky. Eyes wide with curiosity, he walked into the field enclosed by woodened fences and an impenetrable magical barrier. Instantly, he felt the dark magic of his Master surrounded the castle surroundings. Rain began to fall from the sky. Each drop became bigger and bigger. For an average servant who held little to no power, the heavy droplets of rain would drown them. For a slave who held no power, the heavy droplets of rain would instantly kill them. For servants who were unique such as him and Kaoru, the heavy droplets of rain felt like feathers falling from the dark overclouded sky.

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AN: I'm sorry for updating a year later. Inspiration is limited because college and family have taken over my life. Also, I'm sorry for a short chapter. The future chapters may also be short. Reviews are nice but I will not accept flames. 


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